Roller printer



NOV- 4, 1952 w. R. PATIENCE ETAL 2,616,344

ROLLER PRINTER Filed Nov. 24,` 1948 44 4/ 55A' [ya l 52 5'/ /a 67 l l@-53 .5654/4 5f 37 INVENT R WARREN FLPPIE CE & EYDWIN S. PATIENCE.'

T/.ve/r ATTORNEYS.

'f terial.

-machine to the other.

Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES APATENI' OFFICE lROLLER PRINTERWarrenzR. Patience, Franklin ;Square,and Edwin S. Patience,Hempstead,N.wY.

Application November 24,'1948,"Serial"No."61,844

.-.4 claims. 1

Ifhisinvention relates-'to improvements inpho- A rtoprintingandphotocopying apparatus. `AIt--il'e- 'lates'particularly to animproved form of copying and printing device whichis adapted to Ibe-used inlmaking photographic prints from strip 4film, copying fromseparateY papers or from pagesof books, either by transmitted light orby reflex, and formany other purposes.

A great many kinds of copying -or printing machines havebeen devisedheretoforeflargely :for commercial printing operations with differentVtypes of light-sensitive materials. Usually, the prior machines havebeen one purpose machines,

made primarily to handle one type of Vcopy machine, the copy is fedforwardly in contactvwith the light-sensitive materialirom one-end of/the Articles such as the ypages in books cannot be handled in.thesemachines for the pages cannot be fed between thesupporting andfeeding elements far enoughto permit a copy of a complete page to bemadewithout `tearing the page from the book. .Also,.un1ess V'these priordevicesare especiallyfconstructed,

they are notvvery satisfactory'for-copyingrstrip film, for example,motion picture lmffor the reason that the. light source isnotregulated-.to

l.give the narrow beam of light required; forsharp .copying withthehighly sensitive positive or nega- 4tive materials used in suchcopyingA operation.

Another problem encounteredtwith` the prior rdevicesis that of providingefficient coolingwithoutloss of copying eiliciency bythe introduction-of dust by the cooling system. Usually, these prior devices areprovided-withair cooling means whereby air is circulated aroundthe lightsource Unless great. care is exercized, .the

.An object of the present' invention is to pro- -v vide avery versatile'photoprinting and copying machine .of compact form by means of whichYmany different types of materials can be copied or printed, forexample, the-pages in books, mo-A :rtion fpicture iilms, blueprints,printed p matter,

either by reiiected or transmitted light and `which rr.caneven be usedtomake color separation negativeszor positives.

@Another object oi':l the inventiony isi ,tof provide In the automatictype of copying maa copying-1nachine-Whch,` because of its struc- `ture,permits the -easy and automatic copyingoi pages of books IwithoutrdangerAof tearing the pages lfrom -the rbooks, the I machine, however, without`modiiicationvbeing equally adapted to handle'continuousstrip materialsuch -as motion picture film andzthe like.

A furthel` object of the invention is to provide a photocopying orphotoprinting machine having an improvedcooling system :and a lightvconcentrating system thereinwhich [to alarge degree eliminatesproblems'of dust and heat while providing a very concentrated beam oflight for producing sharp copies ofthe copy material.

Otherobjects Aoi? Athe invention. will become apparent -fromthefollowingdescription of a typical form ofI copying and` printingapparatus embodying the present invention.

Devices of the type embodying the present invention may include-a pairof cooperating rollers of small diameter between which the copyVmaterialand the light-sensitive material are passed in contact :witheach other, one of the rollers being made of or having a-covering ofsoft rubber- Vlike material. The roller cooperating with the soft rolleris Vvmade of transparentmaterial such as glass or transparentplastic,`this roller being of such diameter-that it acts as a condensing lenstoconcentrate light from-asource of light 1located adjacenttoiit'intheform of -a sharp narrow beam essentiallyfatfthe-zone ofcontact of y the two rollers 4to-prevent 1 scattering of the light andresulting foggingher distortion of the copy.

In addition to the foregoing'features, the device isf'provided with aVlight housing `which' is dis- Aposed adjacent to-the transparent roller,the

source of light 'being housed lpreferably in a tubular -transparentmember through l which air -may'be circulatedin order tocool the lightsource Vwithout'the-.air being directedagainst the transparent roller orother mechanism. I'By providing filtered air, the problem of dirt ordustV in the housing is tora'very largegdegree eliminated so that rlossof eiiiciency or -mar1 ingof .the prints isY largely overcome. Y

:A `further feature'ofl--the invention is the provision of--a1ltermechanism associated with the light source whereby diierentl-ltersrrnaybe interposed between the light source and the transparent rollertopermitfif desired 4separation negatives orf-positives -to-bee-printedAthrough several differentseparation lters. Moreover, the devicemaybeprovided with suitable lightbaf- 1 ilesf whereby the' light may be fconcentrated directly upon a narrow zone of the copy material or may bespread out over a somewhat wider zone to control the amount of light andthe exposing of the copy material.

The use of small rollers of the type referred to above makes the deviceparticularly suitable for copying the pages of books because these smallrollers do not interfere with the entry of the page almost completelybetween the rollers into a position to be copied. To prevent damage tothe book or its pages, an automatic reversing mechanism has beenprovided whereby the page is advanced between the rollers until the backor adjacent pages of the book come in contact with a control member,whereupon the direction of rotation of the rollers is reversed, thelight source is shut oi and the page is backed out of the rollers.

An apparatus of the type described generally above can be made verycompact and is of relatively light weight so that it is readily portableand does not require a large amount of space for its installation anduse. It will be understood, of course, that the length of the rollersmay be varied to accommodate various widths of the copy material.Because of the versatility of the device, it lends itself particularlyto office use for making copies of letters and other papers and doesaway with the need for a photostatic camera or other similar device.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a typical form of device embodying theinvention with a part of the housing removed and also shown partly insection to disclose details thereof; and

Fig. 2 is a view in section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The device chosen for purposes of illustration is of the portable typeincluding elements of such size as to make it suitable for copyingbooks, letters and manuscripts of ordinary legal and similar sizes. Thedevice, of course, may be made larger, if desired, or even smaller, forcopying photographic negatives of the conventional sizes.

lThe device includes a flat supporting base I@ provided with uprights Iiand I2 near its opposite ends, these uprights being of any desired shapeand size, and, as illustrated, each includes a generally rectangularlower portion i3 and an upwardly tapering portion terminating in acurved or rounded upper end portion It. A metallic housing or coverportion I5 having a semicylindrical upper portion and downwardlyconverging sideportions I6 and Il is mounted on and between the uprightsII and i2. The side portions I6 and I'i terminate at about thehorizontal diameter of a transparent roller i8 and may be provided withthin, inwardly directed baffles Ita and Ila closely adjacent to thesurface of the roller I8.

The roller I8 is supported rotatably by means of stub shafts i9 and 2tat its opposite ends engaging in the bearings 2l and 22 in the sideframe. The roller I8 is provided with end anges 23 and 24 in order toguide large or relatively wide copy material but these end anges can beomitted if desired.

The roller I8 cooperates with a roller 25 which may include a hard metalcore 2S and a relatively thick covering 2'I formed of soft spongy rubberor rubberlike material. The roller 25 is supported at its opposite endsby means of the projecting ends 28 and 29 of the core 2d in suitable,

bearings 3i) and 3| in the uprights II and i2. The rollers It and 2'!are so related in position that the transparent roller IS indents thesurface of the rubber roller to a substantial extent in order to assureintimate surface contact of the copy material, for example, the page ofa book B and the photosensitive copying material M shown in Fig. 2.

The left-hand ends of the rollers 'i8 and 2 are connected by means ofthe gears 32 and 33 so that they are rotated in opposite directions bymeans of the reversible motor 3ft. The motor 3Q is connected by means ofthe reducing gearing 35 to a gear 36 at the righthand end of the roller2'1 so that the roller 21 can be driven in either direction.

The speed of the motor can be controlled by means of a rheostat 3lconnected between the motor 34 and the power line in order to regulatethe printing time.

The motor may be reversed by means of a switch 38 mounted on the sideplate I2 and having an upwardly extending switch plunger 3S.

Light is supplied for the printing operation by means of a lamp Iii)which may be of incandescent, gas, or arc type which is supported in asocket 4I.

The socket is mounted in the center of a cupshaped element 42 which issecured at its leithand end to the upright I I. The base of thecupshaped member d2 is provided with a plurality of relatively largeopenings 43, lit, these openings being in alignment with similaropenings 55, it in the upright II. The cup-shaped member i2 is adaptedto receive one end of a hollow glass tube 47 which is substantiallyconcentric with the lamp di] and is supported at its opposite end in anannular collar 48 on the upright I2. The upright is provided with a holeA39 in alignment with the tube 41.

The cup-shaped member 42 and the collar i3 also form a support for agenerally cylindrical tubular filter member 5B which is rotatablymounted on the collar 42 and the collar fie. The lter member is providedwith a knurled disc member 5I which extends through a slot 52 in thehousing I5 so that the lter can be rotated to position any part of itbetween the light source M3 and the roller I8. As shown in Fig. 2, thefilter 50 may have three differently colored segmental lter elements 53,54 and 55 suitable for making separation negatives or it may have moreof the filter elements if desired. In order to reinforce the lter member50, it may be provided with longitudinally spaced bars 525 extendingfrom end to end.

In order to further control the amount of light directed against theroller I8, the housing may be provided with a pair of shutters 57 and 58which extend lengthwise of the housing I5 below the center of the filterI5 and are pivotally supported in the housing at their upper edges. Thelower ends of the shutters 51 and 5S are provided with slotted brackets59 and 6@ which receive pins iii and 62 mounted on the nuts 63 and Gi.These nuts are threaded on the shaft $5 which is rotatably'mounted inthe converging walls of the housing I5 and is provided with oppositelydirected threads so that upon rotation of the shaft 55, the shuttersswing inwardly or outwardly to vary the width of the beam of lightdirected against the roller I8.

The intensity of the light l0 may be varied by means of a rheostat 68mounted on the upright I I.

Qooling of the light source may be eifected by means of a suitable motor61 driving a blower B8 which is connected by means of a conduit 59 tothe openings 45 and 46 in the uprightand the openings '42, l'44 `in thecup-.shaped member 42. The air flows through the tube 4l and isdischarged to atmosphere through the opening 49 in the upright I2.

By providing' a suitable lter at the intake of the blower 68. relativelydust-free air can be directed around the lamp to keep the transparentmember free of dust. Also, the cooling air is confined within thetransparent member 4'! and thus does not pass over the surface of theroller I8 or other cooperating parts, Transfer of heat to the copymaterial may be further reduced by mounting a glass plate 'IU betweenthe filter member 50 and the roller I8, this plate being supported bymeans of suitable brackets II and l2 on the uprights II and I2.

In order to support copy material and the sensitive material whilepassing between the rollers I8 and 25, the device may be provided withan upwardly inclined platform 'I3 which is mounted on the base I andterminates adjacent the periphery of the roller 25. The material issupported on the opposite side of the nip between the rollers I8 and 25by a horiontal platform 14 extending between the uprights II and I2 andmounted on the base I0 of the device.

The motor 34 for driving the rollers I8 and 21 is reversible under thecontrol of the switch 38. as described above. Advantage of thisarrangement is taken to permit the copying of pages of books; thus, forexample, as shown in Fig. 2, a page of a book and a sheet ofphotosensitive material thereon may be introduced between the rollers I8and 25 and the motor 3f: started so that the page advances from left toright between the rollers I8 and 20. When the covers or adjacent pagesof the book come into substantial contact with the rollers I3 and 25, abail or tripping member 'I5 formed of wire or the like is engaged by thebook and is moved downwardly about its pivots I6 and I'I in the uprightsII and I2. Downward movement of the bail member trips the switch 38 byengagement of the arm 'I8 on the tripping member with the push button 39so that the motor is immediately reversed, thereby backing the book awayfrom the rollers. The switch 38 may also be used to deenergize the light40 when the motor is reversed to prevent double exposures.

This reversing mechanism does not, however. interfere with the passageof sheet or strip material between the rollers for the bail membermerely rests upon the surface of the copy material or photosensitivematerial and is not displaced thereby.

The use of the soft rubber roller 25 and the transparent roller 28 iseective in producing very sharp copies 0f copy material such as motionpicture lm and the like` Inasmuch as the soft rubber roller is indentedby the transparent roller, very tight contact is obtained between thecopy material and the copying material. Moreover, the use of thetransparent roller as a focusing element assures a sharp concentrationof light at the zone where the materials are forced most intimately intoengagement.

From the preceding description, it will be apparent that we haveprovided a very versatile type of photoprinting or photocopying deviceand one which is capable of handling a very large variety of materialswith a minimum of attention. Moreover. the device is so arranged thatvery accuratelytimedexposures can bemade by adjustment of kthe speed ofthe drive motor 34 and variation'in the spacing of the shutters 51 and58.

It will be understood that the device is susceptible to considerablemodification in its details and that `the filter structure may bemodified to render it suitable for the copy work being done and that thedevice may be modified in size and shape depending upon requirements.Therefore, the form of the invention described herein should beconsidered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope ofthe followingclaims.

We claim:

1. A photoprinting and photocopying device comprising a frame, va. pairof cylindrical rollers of about the same relatively small diameter, saidrollers being rotatably mounted at their opposite ends -in said frame,one of said rollers being transparent and the other soft and rubbery andbeing indented normally by peripheral engagement with said transparentroller, a source of light mounted in said frame to one side of and inspaced relation to 'said transparent roller for directing lighttherethrough toward said rubbery roller, a reversible electric motor forrotating said rollers to advance copy material between said rollers andretract said copy material, switching means for reversing the directionof rotation of said rollers by said motor, and a bail member pivotallymounted 'in said frame in -advance of said rollers and in the path of apart projecting from Vthe plane of the copy material advancing betweensaid rollers, said bail member being displaceable by engagement withsaid part to actuate said Vswitch and reverse said motor to retract saidcopy material.

2. A photoprinting and photocopying device comprising a base member, apair of end plates spaced apart lengthwise of said base member, a pairof relatively small rollers rotatably mounted in peripheral engagementin and extending between said end plates in spaced relation to said basemember, said rollers being of about the same diameter and having theiraxes in substantially a vertical plane, the lower roller having a softrubbery surface and the upper roller being transparent, gear means atthe ends of said rollers connecting them for simultaneous rotation inopposite directions and at the same peripheral speed, a motor connectedto one of said rollers to rotate them, a source of light including ahousing extending between and supported at its ends at the upper ends ofsaid end plates, said light source and housing directing a band of lightlengthwise of said transparent roller, the latter being of such smalldiameter as to act as a lens to focus the band in a narrow beam at thesurface of said lower roller, a shelf to one side of said rollersextending substantially horizontally between said end plates andapproximately in alignment with the engaging peripheries of said rollersto receive copy material, the opposite sides of the rollers beingotherwise substantially unobstructed to permit a page in an open book tobe passed between the rollers to substantially the full width of thepage before the remainder of the book comes into engagement with saidrollers.

3. A photoprinting and photocopying device comprising a base member, apair of end plates spaced apart lengthwise of said base member, a pairof relatively small rollers rotatably mounted in peripheral engagementin and extending between said end plates in spaced relation to said basemember, said rollers being of about the saine diameter and having theiraxes in substan- .aclarantially a vertical plane, the lower rollerhaving a soft rubbery surface and the upper roller being transparent,means connecting said rollers for simultaneous rotation in oppositedirections, a motor connected to said rollers to rotate them, a sourceof light including a housing extending between and supported at its endsat the upper ends of said end plates, said light source and housingdirecting a band of light lengthwise of said transparent roller, thelatter being of such small diameter as to act as a lens to focus theband in a narrow beam at the surface of said lower roller, a shelf toone side of said rollers extending substantially horizontally betweensaid end plates and approximately in alignment with the engagingperipheries of said rollers to receive copy material, the opposite sidesof the rollers being otherwise substantially unobstructed to permit apage in an open book to be passed between the rollers to substantiallythe full width of the page before the remainder o the book cornes intoengagement with said rollers, a contacting member pivotally mountedbetween said end plates and having an outer portion adjacent to saidunobstructed side of said rollers, said pivotally mounted member beingmovable toward said rollers by a part projecting from the plane of thepage being advanced by and between said rollers, and means to reversethe direction of rotation of said rollers actuated by movement of saidmember toward said rollers.

4. A photoprin-ting and copying device comprising a substantially at,long and narrow 'base member, a pair of end plates mounted in spacedsubstantially parallel upwardly extending relation from and on oppositeends of said base member, a pair of relatively small diameter rollersrotatably mounted at opposite ends in said end plates, extending betweensaid end plates above said base member and arranged one above the other,the lower roller having a flexible deformable friction surface normallyengaging the surface of said upper roller between said end plates, saidupper roller being transparent, gear means connecting said rollers forsimultaneous rotation at the same peripheral speeds, motor driven meansfor rotating said rollers, a light housing connecting said end platesabove said rollers having an opening at the bottom directed toward saidupper roller throughout the length thereof, and a source of light insaid light housing extending between said end plates for directing aband of light throughout the length of said housing between said endplates toward said transparent roller for focussing by said transparentroller. in a narrow beam at the surface of said lower roller, the spacebetween said end plates along one side of said rollers above said basemember being substantially unobstructed for feeding sheet materialbetween said rollers throughout the length thereof from one side of saiddevice for delivery outwardly beyond the opposite side.

WARREN R. PATIENCE.

EDWIN S. PATIENCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent: Y

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,251,076 Mauch Dec. 25, 19171,744,323 Mayer Jan. 21, 1930 1,950,692 Owens Mar. 13, 1934 1,989,836Whitman Feb. 5, 1935 2,041,478 Niederle May 19, 1936 2,222,961 SzaszNov. 26, 1940 2,260,486 Smeck Oct. 28, 1941 2,308,130 Von Meister et al.Jan. 12, 1943 2,346,988 Noel Apr, 18, 1944 2,351,339 Hruby June 13, 19442,427,443 Cochran Sept. 16, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date483,014 Great Britain Apr. 8, 1938

